


Hypothesis for Happiness

by MikoGalatea



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Goddess Tower (Fire Emblem), M/M, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), mostly just Linhardt crushing on Byleth at this stage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:00:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22862152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikoGalatea/pseuds/MikoGalatea
Summary: Linhardt wants to test out the legend of the Goddess Tower, and it's not just an idle experiment for him. Set shortly before his Tower event.
Relationships: Linhardt von Hevring/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59
Collections: The 100 Multifandom Challenge





	Hypothesis for Happiness

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the 100fandoms challenge on Dreamwidth, using prompt 063, "Theory".

On some level, Linhardt supposed that he did want to test out the legend of the Goddess Tower.

It hadn't been anything of interest to him initially, but even he heard plenty of rumours about it in passing while spending his waking hours half-buried in his own research -– the story of how, if a man and a woman were to make a wish together at the Tower on the night of the ball, it would surely be granted by the Goddess Herself and the pair would be bound together forever.

_Does it have to be a man and a woman, though?_

Somehow, that thought occurred to him as he overheard more gossip about the legend. As soon as it had done so, he found himself unable to shake it out of his mind, and it soon reached the point where he had to make the Goddess Tower legend into his latest research project on the side just so he could find an answer to that nagging question.

Poring over all the relevant books he could find in the library, he learned of the original story behind the legend, about the girl from the academy and the Adrestrian emperor in disguise. He also read some curious claims that couples making their wishes at the Tower would actually be cursed for eternity rather than blessed; he knew legends like this had a way of being distorted over the years, but even so, he did want to believe the romantic version was closer to the truth than the one involving the curse.

He wasn't normally one for sentimentality, but he couldn't deny that his feelings had changed recently.

Continuing his research, he found that every reference to the Goddess Tower legend that came up in the library's books mentioned a man and a woman making the wish together -– not an entirely unexpected discovery, but still a frustrating one nonetheless.

 _On the other hand,_ he mused to himself while reviewing the notes he'd made, _I don't see anything to suggest the wish_ couldn't _be granted to two men or to two women, even when I read between the lines in all these texts._ He couldn't see any logical reason why gender had to be any object to hopeful couples having their wishes granted, either. _Would the Goddess be that discerning with bestowing happiness on these people?_

He sighed, exhausted from having spent yet another entire night on this side project that he might ordinarily have already given up on by now. _Perhaps I'm only believing what I want to believe because of the Professor,_ he mentally admitted.

Lately, he hadn't been able to ignore how much he'd come to _like_ Byleth. It felt strange for him to think back on how he hadn't given the man a second thought when they'd first met; at the time, he had dismissed Byleth as just another stern teacher who said very little and showed his emotions even less, if at all. That had begun to change, however, when he learned the Professor possessed a rare and unusual Crest that allowed him to wield the Sword of the Creator; from then, his fascination with the mysteries surrounding Byleth had grown more and more, and at the same time, he'd also become increasingly interested in the other man as a person.

As the seasons had passed, he'd steadily gained more appreciation for his Professor. He'd learned that they both enjoyed fishing. Byleth was beginning to smile and express himself more, letting Linhardt see that underneath his stoicism, he was also a human being who _did_ care –- and a very handsome one at that. Byleth had become more accommodating to the way he preferred to do things, or _not_ do things as the case often was, letting him nap through lectures on battle and politics and other subjects that held no interest to him; of course, that was so long as he kept up with his studies elsewhere, but that proved little problem for Linhardt when he'd otherwise become so much more engaged with his lessons. Byleth had given him his favourite tea and sweets on his birthday, and they'd had the more wonderful conversation over it.

Most of all, just weeks ago when Linhardt had been shaken by the incident in Remire and the deaths of the soldiers under his command, Byleth had lent an understanding ear to his worries and promised him that he wouldn't let him die. He'd as good as said he would _protect_ him.

That was the point when Linhardt realised he'd developed _feelings_ for his Professor.

He'd begun to catch himself staring at Byleth during lectures, when before he would have either been looking at nothing in particular or simply drifting off for another nap when not scribbling down notes. Byleth was drawing his eyes whenever they passed by one another in the hallways. Thinking of Byleth often made his heart beat a little faster and his face turn a little warmer, and he was appearing in his dreams more often as well. It was no longer possible for Linhardt to deny that he had a crush.

That was why he had suddenly become so interested in the Goddess Tower legend, even though it fell outside the usual scope of his research -– because he, a man, wanted to make a wish together with Byleth, another man.

To that end, he decided on a hypothesis -– that wishes made at the Tower as per the legend simply had to be between two people, and that they could be granted to couples regardless of gender.

 _I can't believe I'm making a hypothesis about something so unscientific,_ he thought with a smile, almost laughing at himself. _I'm used to carrying out objective experiments with quantifiable results. How do I quantify a love legend or a wish?_

It was true that there were a lot of variables involved, many of which were subjective and not all of which he could fully control. For a start, while he had every intention of waiting at the Goddess Tower on the night of the ball, he couldn't guarantee that Byleth would show up; it was technically forbidden for students and other unauthorised persons to be there, after all, and while breaking the rules didn't bother Linhardt in the least, he did wonder if his Professor would be willing or interested enough to do so as well.

 _Should I invite him to the Tower?_ At least that way he could ensure that Byleth _would_ appear -– assuming he accepted the invitation. _No,_ he reconsidered with a shake of his head, _on second thought, there's the chance that he'll turn me down and I won't be able to test out the legend at all._ The thought of being rejected like that made his chest ache; it would have been the very worst outcome on multiple levels. _So I won't say anything to him about it beforehand,_ he concluded. _I'll just have to wait and hope._

Then there was the question of what he would wish for if Byleth did appear before him. _Should I ask for a time when I can study his Crest as much as I please? Do whatever I like with him?_ That was enough to put a smile back on his face for a moment. _Or would that be too forward of me? And when would such a time come?_

He was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that only a few moons remained until he and the rest of his class would be graduating. After that, he knew he would more than likely be forced to fully assume his place in the tiresome world of Imperial nobility. He could not, however, be so certain of what Byleth would go on to do; all he could be sure of was that, whether the other man continued to teach at the academy or returned to his mercenary work or chose some other path, they were unlikely to meet again. That bittersweet realisation made Linhardt bite his lip slightly; he could have almost wept at the thought.

 _That gives me all the more reason to become a Crest scholar,_ he decided, trying not to let his pessimism get the better of him. _It's my best chance of seeing him again after I graduate. I do so want to see him again..._

With that, he had the wish he wanted to make.

Now he knew he just had to hope everything would go the way he wanted it to on the night itself –- and the night in question was soon approaching, barely a few days away. He hoped that Byleth would appear at the Tower, and that if he did, he wouldn't be there to meet with someone else. He hoped that Byleth wouldn't be put off by _him_ of all people wanting to speak with him there on such a romantic night. He hoped that Byleth would share the wish he wanted to make with him –- share his sentiments.

He hoped that wish would come true someday. He also hoped his feelings for Byleth would still remain when that day came, and that they weren't simply a fleeting youthful infatuation. He was so unused to being in love; he hadn't had any idealistic notions about it before now, and he had little if any reference point for how it was supposed to go or what was the right thing for him to do if he wanted to keep that love.

It was all so unscientific, but if he was being truthful with himself, his entire desire to test out the Goddess Tower legend wasn't meant to be an idle science experiment in the first place. _It's a hypothesis for my own happiness above all else,_ he reminded himself. _I just want to wish that I can be with him in the future, and I don't think it should matter that we're both men._

That, and the sentimental part of him thought it _was_ a lovely legend.

 _And if the time comes that I'll see my wish come true?_ He smiled softly to himself as he began to put away his research materials, preparing to retire to his bed once more and have sweet dreams of the ideal outcome he wanted.

_Then I look forward to that day. I really do._


End file.
